The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter
"What was sacred to previous generations remains sacred and great to us as well."
Letter from the holy father Benedict XVI attached to the motto Summorum Pontificum).
FRATERNITY
The FSSP is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right. Its members are Catholic priests, dedicated to pastoral ministry, and to the formation and sanctification of priests, through a life in community, within the framework of the traditional form of the Roman rite.
The choice of Saint Peter as patron saint is very significant. Under his patronage, the members of the FSSP profess fidelity to the traditional Roman liturgy and full communion with the Supreme Pontiff as two fundamental pillars of their foundation.
THE STORY
Having been canonically erected on October 18, 1988, by Pope Saint John Paul II, its mission and character have been confirmed by successive popes.
The main objective of the Fraternity is the sanctification of its members through the exercise of the priestly ministry, having as its center and point of reference that which is the reason for being of this ministry: the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Fraternity of Saint Peter fulfills this mission using the liturgical books in force in 1962, as specified in its decree of erection in 1988, confirmed by a decree of Pope Francis dated February 11, 2022.
THE MEMBERS
Members of the Fraternity are sent to serve the faithful throughout the world in apostolates entrusted to them by their local bishop, in accordance with their particular charism. Today, the Fraternity is present on four continents. The priests live in small communities and work to preach the Gospel, caring for souls in parishes; through the education of young people (schools, summer camps and youth groups); and in the organization of conferences, catechism courses, retreats, pilgrimages, and other activities.
THE WIGRATZBAD SEMINAR
"If you remain close to Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, you will produce much fruit, as He promised."
You did not choose him, but he chose you.
"This is the secret of your vocation and your mission!"
Pope Benedict XVI, August 19, 2005, Address to seminarians
THE WIGRATZBAD SEMINAR
The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter also has two international seminaries for the formation of future priests: one European, the Saint Peter Seminary in Wigratzbad (Germany), where instruction is given in two language sections (French or German); and another American, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton (USA), where courses are taught in English.
Multicultural community life offers a unique opportunity for mutual enrichment, and the spiritual environment of Wigratzbad allows for ideal retreat into a relationship with God. In fact, the seminary is located in a Marian sanctuary, in a picturesque area of Bavaria, at the foot of the Alpine mountains, near the border with Austria and Switzerland, constituting a kind of spiritual and natural oasis.
The International Seminary of St. Peter in Wigratzbad is not only the Fraternity's first seminary, but also its first canonically erected house. Its establishment fulfilled long-held aspirations at the sanctuary. In fact, Wigratzbad has been an important place of pilgrimage since the supernatural events experienced by a young woman named Antonie Rädler starting in 1936. She was convinced that in the future an international center for priestly formation would be established in Wigratzbad.
Pilgrims from all over the world venerate Our Lady according to the invocation of "Immaculate Conception, Mother of Victory," which Antonie Rädler is said to have heard from a multitude of angels in chorus.
The spiritual director of the visionary wrote: “Who can blame us for desiring and praying that one day a Major Seminary will be founded here, in which priests will be formed who are totally dedicated to Mary and Jesus, to the Blessed Sacrament, and consumed by an untiring zeal for souls?” This desire was fulfilled when, in August 1988, the Bishop of Augsburg, Joseph Stimpfle, agreed to the founding of the first seminary of the FSSP.
Currently, more than 180 young men from all over the world are preparing for the priesthood, and the European seminary already has 8 Portuguese seminarians.
Spiritual and intellectual formation is the foundation for preparing priests for a fruitful ministry. In accordance with the repeated recommendations of the Popes, the Councils, the Code of Canon Law, and with the approval of the Holy See, the FSSP proposes a Thomistic philosophical and theological formation, following the traditional seminary model, capable of responding to the challenges of our times, in the cultural, social, and doctrinal fields.
A day at the seminary.
Routine at the Seminary
06:00
Get up
When the alarm sounds in the seminary hallways, it is 6 a.m., and each seminarian has 25 minutes to make a brief offering of their day to their Creator, wash, dress, and go to the chapel.
06:25
Prayer - Lauds - Mass
Since the life of a priest is to unite God and humanity, seminarians, future priests, should earnestly strive to orient their entire being towards God. Therefore, the day begins with half an hour of private prayer, followed by Lauds, the praise of the Lord God.
07:15
Mass - Thanksgiving
The community Mass is sung on second-class feast days and on the first Fridays of the month, and solemnly celebrated on first-class feast days. During this time, the seminary priests celebrate their private Mass in the different oratories of the house.
08:00
Breakfast
The nourishment of the soul is followed by the nourishment of the body, which is indispensable for the good health of the seminarians. “Mens sana in corpore sano” – a healthy mind in a healthy body – as the saying goes. In order to maintain the remembrance that follows Holy Communion, breakfast is taken in silence between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m.
08:40 - 12:00
Classes
The first classes begin at 8:40 a.m. and last 45 minutes each. They are divided into cycles: one year of spirituality, a two-year cycle of philosophy followed by four years of theology. The training is dense and diverse: philosophy, theology, exegesis, liturgy, Church history, canon law, Latin, Greek, etc.
12:15 - 12:30
Sixth Hour
At midday, the community gathers again to recite the Office of Sext and the Angelus in the seminary chapel.
12:30
Lunch
Lunch, like all other meals, is normally taken in silence, except on Sundays and holidays, and on Wednesdays at noon. The silence lasts until the beginning of dessert, while the reader of the week performs their duty, reading aloud to the community a book or article chosen by a professor.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Recreation
The hour following lunch is a time of relaxation during which the seminarians take the opportunity to go for a walk and chat, read, or play table football or table tennis.
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Study
After an optional half-hour nap, the afternoon is usually reserved for personal study or some classes. Depending on the day of the week and the year of study, seminarians will work in their rooms, go to the library, or take a language course (first Latin, then Greek, and finally Hebrew).
This study time is interrupted at 4 PM for a quarter-hour fraternal snack.
18:30
Eve
When the day's work ends at 6:00 PM, the first-year seminarians go to the chapel for more personal meditation on their priestly vocation. It is a moment of silence and surrender, face to face with God in prayer. At 6:30 PM, all the seminarians gather again to sing Vespers in communion with the whole Church. On Wednesdays, the singing of Vespers is replaced by the recitation of the Rosary.
7:00 PM
To have lunch
Just like lunch, dinner is served in silence, punctuated by the reading of a saint's life.
7:30 PM
Recreation
A new recreational period precedes, twice a week, a spiritual conference given either
either by one of the priests from the seminary, or by a priest visiting Wigratzbad.
20:10
Complete and the
great silence of the night
At 8:15 p.m. (or 8:45 p.m. on conference nights), the entire seminary gathers to sing and pray to God.
To confess the offenses of the day and to give thanks once again for all the blessings received. That is the office.
Compline marks the end of the day and the beginning of the great silence of the night. It is a final moment.
privileged to entrust to God and Our Lady, in the calm and darkness of the night, the intentions
from our hearts.
Thus ends the seminarian's day, with praise to God, the only True Good, so that He may...
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